Tales of Yukio
by Steph32297l
Summary: After the tragic death of Avatar Lyn-Chen, Avatar Yukio is born. Anana, his mother, runs away with him. Seventeen years later, his real story begins. Will he learn the real reason behind Avatar Lyn-Chen's death? Can he restore balance to a dangerous world?
1. Book One: Earth

Stephanie Tales of Yukio 2013

Prologue

"Anana, my name is Sister Hitomi. I was Lyn-Chen's older sister," a new nun said to a young mother holding her baby boy in her arms.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Anana said, speaking about the tragic death of the past Avatar.

"Thank you. But this trip isn't about my sister. But it is about the Avatar. And your son."

Anana grew tense at the mention of her son, Yukio. She tugged at a strand of her brown hair that had fallen out of her braid. She looked around her modest home in the South Pole. She was already nervous enough with her husband gone, and having a strange visitor made her nervousness transform into anxiety. But add them all together, plus her son becoming a part of the conversation, it was just too much for her. "What do you want with Yukio?" Anana asked, clutching her baby tighter to her chest.

Hitomi hesitated. She was having trouble with her anxiety, too. She took a deep breath, then spoke. "I was reading Lyn-Chen's diary, and I discovered that she received vivid visions of the future. She described her death years before it happened. And the identity of the next Avatar. Yukio is the Avatar."

Anana looked at Yukio and remembered the intense dreams she had while she was pregnant. She had visions of Yukio as a young man using all the bending disciplines -Water, Earth, Fire and Air – with great skill along with six other friends, four bending Earth, two bending Fire. Anana had originally passed them off as her pregnancy qualms, but she never truly believed that dreams were just dreams. "Do the White Lotus know?"

Hitomi shook her head, "They don't know. But they're curious. Ani is the only one who knows about Lyn-Chen's gift."

Anana was surprised to hear her Ani's name. Ani was Anana's eldest sister, the favorite child of her parents. Anana had gotten over her bitterness toward her sister until Anana heard that Ani was Lyn-Chen's Waterbending master. Anana's dream was to teach the Avatar, but it was crushed by Ani, as usual. "Of course she does," Anana mumbled.

"Lyn-Chen had visions of you, too. She said that 'a Southern Water Tribe woman of twenty seven years of age, whom is a master Waterbender, will give birth to my successor'. You are one of six female masters," Hitomi answered, "The White Lotus are coming."

Anana immediately knew that she didn't want anyone to take Yukio away from her. She clutched him tighter. "Sister Hitomi, what should I do to keep him?" Anana asked. She couldn't stand the thought of Ani raising Yukio.

"If you want to keep Yukio, move to the North Pole immediately. I have a ship waiting for you," Hitomi answered quietly, "and don't explain to anyone why you left. Including you husband."

"Okay. Let's go."

Seventeen years later

I looked up at the clear blue sky over my head. Here you could always see the moon, even in the brightest of days, like today. The sky was mocking me: Enticing me to stay home and never even think about the city of Ba Sing Se.

But I had to finish my training. I had to become the fully realized Avatar. It was my destiny. It was my job to restore balance to the dangerous world that I lived in. My mother had kept me safe for my whole life, but she couldn't save me from this. This, dreadful task looming, figuratively, above me.

To make matters worse, I was replacing the beloved Avatar Lyn-Chen. She was an Air Nomad. An absolute beauty and a prodigy. She mastered Airbending at age seven. She was perfect. She became the youngest nun in history. She would've continued with her training, but she died months after she started Waterbending. It terrified the world. In her thirteen years, there was peace. But my time wasn't so lucky.

Just then, I felt a sharp slap on the back of my head. Water splashed to the ground. "Yukio, I have been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes. We need to go down to the canal so you can catch your airship. Everyone is already down there. They aren't going to wait for you all day, sweetie," my mom said.

"Actually, I'm the only reason they're here, so they have to wait," I answered.

"Don't get smart with me. Go!"

I sighed. The canal wasn't far from my house, but I still hated to walk there. The Order of the White Lotus had sentries following me everywhere I went. I tried to tell them that I was a master Waterbender and I could take care of myself, but for some reason, they never seemed to listen to me. They also never talked to anyone but my mother and themselves. My mom scolded me every time I was 'rude', but I was still annoyed by them. After all, they were sent by my annoying aunt, and a Grand Lotus, Ani. My mom sighed, as if she read my thoughts about Aunt Ani. They'd been feuding for years.

When I got to the canal, Aunt Ani was waiting for me, along with all the citizens of the North Pole. She wrapped me in a hug when I reached her. I didn't hug her back. "How's my favorite nephew?" she asked, pushing me away by my shoulders. "You're so tall now! Just like your father!" My mom sighed again.

"Hello, Ani," my mom said half-heartedly.

"Ani, I'm your only nephew. My cousins are all girls," I pointed out, ignoring the fact that my mother had said anything.

She just laughed, "You're funny. Just like your father!"

I sighed internally. Ani was always too excited. And she always talked about my father. I wasn't completely over his death yet (my mom hadn't either), and Ani always brought it to attention. My mom sighed louder and rolled her eyes in my direction. I chuckled once, but disguised it as a cough. Today, I just didn't want to deal with Ani. I wanted to be sad and miserable. I had never left the North Pole, let alone been on an airship.

"You're going to love this airship. The Lotuses borrowed it from Fire Lord Dukran! She has great taste. You could even use a portable telephone in here!" Ani gestured to the airship. I glanced at my grandfather, who was admiring it. "Well, get in! We'll be on here for about thirty minutes," Ani said, as if thirty minutes was an eternity. I didn't even want to think about how rich she was. "You'll meet your Earthbending master soon. Did you talk to her on the phone yet?"

I nodded. I had talked to Master SoonMin on the phone a few weeks before. She sounded very kind. She said she knew how nervous I felt. She said that she had to leave her home to learn Earthbending, too. It made me feel slightly better. She sounded motherly, even though she had no children of her own. "Why didn't she come to pick me up?" I asked, trying not to sound unhappy.

"SoonMin is the trainer for all the Dai-Li agents and the Kyoshi Warriors in Ba Sing Se. She is also a general. She wanted to pick you up, but she's in a military meeting all day. She sends her apologies," Ani said, officially, "She says that her other students will show you around the palace."

"The palace? Why the palace?"

"That's where you'll be staying, Yukio," Ani answered.

_Okay, here goes everything._ I thought. I turned around to face the whole Northern Water Tribe. They were all smiling. I was going to miss them. They were all my family. I grew up with most of their kids and babysat a lot more. And since my grandfather and I were the only healers in the tribe, I delivered many of the young children.

My mother hugged me and took off my parka. She took another parka from my grandfather's -who had come to stand at my side, without me noticing, apparently- arms. She handed it to me. "Yukio, this was your father's parka from when he was in the Navy. He told me to pass it down to you in his place. He loved you so much," she said crying, but also smiling. "You probably won't need it much in Ba Sing Se, but I want you to have it just in case."

I put the parka on. For a moment, I imagined all his adventures in it. But I also imagined all my new experiences in the Southern Water Tribe-style coat. I remembered how my father looked in it. My mom laughed, once again, as if she read my thoughts. "You look a lot like him, Yukio," she said.

"I really think I look more like you, Mom," I said, smiling at her. Her eyes – the same color and shape as mine – sparkled.

My grandfather cleared his throat, catching my attention. "Here, Taylor," He said, using my rarely used nickname. He shook a vial of water out of his pocket. "I thought that you might want some of the water we use for emergencies. This is water from the Spirit Oasis. Since it's brought other Avatars some use, I figured I'd continue the legacy," he said, in his gruff voice.

"Thank-you, Grandfather," I said bowing

I bowed to the Tribe, then turned and got on the airship

Book One: Earth

_Chapter one_

When I arrived in Ba Sing Se, I was immediately taken to the palace.

I had never seen a Sato-Mobile, so I was surprised to see so many in the city. We didn't have roads in the North Pole (because we still used gondolas for transportation around our village) let alone Sato-Mobiles. It was a strange feeling to ride in one. The idea of moving while stationary baffled me. It just didn't seem natural.

Also, from what I could tell, all of the houses looked the same. They were sectioned off by walls. Each section had its own name. One area was called 'The Garden Village', which I didn't think was suitable because there were no visible gardens. And some houses were one building, several stories high, and each contained several homes. And all buildings appeared to be made out of stone. In the North Pole, our houses were made of wood, bricks, and ice.

Of course, the biggest difference was that there was no ice. There was grass and earth. The city also had no oceans. Just walls that separated people. The city was so large, that I assumed people would get lost if there weren't any walls. Of course, there was that nagging feeling that the walls served other purposes, as well.

But the weirdest thing of all was the palace. I thought it would be a beacon, like the temple in the North Pole, but the Ba Sing Se palace was surrounded was tall, red, stone walls. They were so large and wide that I thought they were actually the palace. It was distressing.

When I got inside of the walls and saw the actual palace, I was left speechless on the steps at the South Entrance. I just looked around and tried to think of words to describe the beauty of Outer Court. There were so many green and gold buildings. I saw the Dai-Li training on the lawn and Kyoshi Warriors practicing Chi-Blocking in the square. There were four massive, golden doors into the palace, each at the cardinal directions. "It can be a bit overwhelming," A girl's monotone voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw a Kyoshi Warrior. She looked younger than the other girls I saw in the outer court. She was also dressed differently. Instead of a kimono, she wore a green robe with a thick vest over it. Her sleeves were loose, but close-fitting at her wrists. She wore boots with thick soles and a gold headdress. She wore her black hair in a long, thin braid.

"I'm ChoHee. I'm one of SoonMin's students. She's in a meeting right now, so she sent me to show you around the palace," she said, dully. "We just have to wait for my sister. Let me apologize in-"

A girl ran toward us, turning cartwheels as she went. "Hi, ChoHee!" She said in between cartwheels. She didn't even sound like she was doing any activity because her voice was so even.

"Advance," ChoHee finished weakly.

The girl did a final backflip when she was next to her sister. "I'm MiHee!" She said, happily. She grabbed my hand a shook it really hard. Then, she pulled me into a chokehold hug. ChoHee pulled her off of me. I mouthed 'thanks' at ChoHee and she nodded back. "I'm so excited to meet you, Avatar!" she shouted.

All the people who were in the square turned to look at us. Even the focused Kyoshi Warriors practicing and some Dai-li agents who were sipping tea. I looked down. I wanted to cover my face and run, but I would've gotten myself lost. I could see the headlines, "_Avatar Arrested For Running Around Palace Grounds_". I shuddered at the thought. "Nice to meet you, MiHee and ChoHee." I said, trying to sound as if I'd ever had a fan.

MiHee just giggled. ChoHee looked embarrassed. "Well I suppose we should get going," ChoHee said, tugging at her braid. She grabbed her sister's hand and they walked me around the grounds.

"We're the only people who aren't royal who have been in the King's personal home," ChoHee said, turning down a long, wood-paneled, dimly-lit hallway with no doors. At the end of the hall, she pulled a brass key out of her pocket. Then I understood why the hallway was so dark: ChoHee put the key into a piece of the paneling and a big metal door slid open.

We walked through the door and into another small hallway. "This is where the boys' rooms are located," ChoHee said, "The girls' rooms are at the other end." Then she pointed to the middle of the hallway. "Those are the bathrooms. You aren't allowed to pass them unless you have permission. No boys allowed in the girls end."

"Of course," I said.

"Well, we have to go," ChoHee said. "Get-"

"We don't have to go, ChoHee," MiHee interrupted, winking at her sister.

"-settled in," ChoHee said, once again, with no vocal inflection. She didn't acknowledge her sister's awkwardness. "MiHee, you have climbing practice in five minutes. And I have Archery. So we do have to leave. So we'll see you later, Taylor." They turned to leave, but I stopped them.

"Why'd you call me Taylor?" I asked.

"That's what SoonMin told us to call you," MiHee said.

I was stunned. I didn't realize that I had introduced myself to SoonMin as Taylor. It was a name that my father had called me. My mom didn't use it at all because she said it was a title between me and my father. My grandfather only used it occasionally. I decided then that I would keep the name.

"Is that okay?" MiHee asked, "'Cause if you prefer something else…"

"No. Taylor is fine," I said.

"Oh good! That would've been really embarrassing if I called you the wrong name for the rest of my life," MiHee said laughing.

"Nah. I'd tell you eventually," I said, laughing quietly. "And I'm sure my real name would get out eventually. The Avatar has no secrets. Trust me. The White Lotus' sentries followed me everywhere in the North Pole."

"SoonMin is a Grand Lotus, so the sentries hang around here. Even though she's a master Earthbender," ChoHee said. "Did they do that to you, too?"

"Yeah! They even followed my mom and grandfather. It makes sense for them to follow my grandfather because he can't use offensive Waterbending, but my mom is one of the best Waterbenders in the world," I answered.

I was glad that I could finally tell people about my frustration. I didn't really have friends that were my age at the North Pole. The kids were all younger than me. And I was too socially-awkward to make friends anyway. I was completely introverted. My friends included my mom and my grandfather. Of course, I had a naturally friendly personality, I just never had the chance to use that trait unless I was working in the hospital (Which wasn't much more than a hut) with my grandfather. I thought, _at least all the toddlers like me_.

"Well, we'll see you around," MiHee said.

"Yeah," I responded.

ChoHee and both MiHee waved awkwardly, but ChoHee was the girl that I was watching. She smiled slightly. She turned around, opened her Kyoshi Warrior metal Tessenjutsu fans (which gave her a boost), and ran swiftly down the hallway. She did a back handspring over a chair in her way. I didn't notice how graceful her movements were. She seemed to be dancing. She seemed completely focused, yet, somehow peaceful.

ChoHee fascinated me, and it scared me.


	2. 2: The Firelord's Sons

Chapter 2

"Taylor?" I heard a tiny voice ask outside my bedroom door. It was very early in the morning. The clock said four thirty.

"Yes?" I asked. My voice was very hoarse and I sounded exactly like I'd been sleeping for a very long time.

"Can I come in?" Now that I was awake a little more, I could tell that it was ChoHee.

"Yeah," I responded.

ChoHee opened the door. Light from the hall spilled into my room. "SoonMin wants you to meditate with us this morning. We practice in thirty minutes. She wants me to show you how to get out of here. I'll wait in the hall," she said, turning around and closing the door.

After I got dressed, I grabbed my canteen off the post of my new bed and slung the strap over my neck and my left arm. I didn't really think I'd need it, but I figured it would be better if I didn't kill all the grass in the square.

I opened the heavy wooden door and walked into the hallway. ChoHee, who was sitting on the floor, looked up at me. I stuck out my hand to help her up. She grabbed it and pulled herself up into a standing position. "Thank you, Taylor," she said, smiling. "When you leave from your bedroom, always turn to your right. If you go to the left, not only will you walk into the girls' dorm, but you'll also end up at a door that we aren't allowed to open."

She started walking to the right. When we got to the metal door that we'd walked through yesterday, she hit a green button on the wall. A control panel box popped opened from behind some wallpaper. ChoHee waved her hand over the gears. She wrinkled her brow, the lock clicked, and the door slid open. She turned around and looked at me. "It's good practice," She explained. I didn't say anything.

I didn't know that she was an Earthbender. I'd never heard of any Kyoshi Warriors being Earthbenders. Then I recalled what Aunt Ani had said, "SoonMin is the trainer for all the Dai-Li agents and the Kyoshi Warriors in Ba Sing Se." She had to be a Kyoshi Warrior. And she also had to be from Kyoshi Island. "Are you coming?" ChoHee asked with no vocal inflection.

"Yeah. What is SoonMin like?" I asked. I thought I had put my foot in my mouth.

"What do you want to know about her?" ChoHee asked.

"Is she from Kyoshi Island?" I asked.

"Yes. But not originally. She was born in Gaoling," ChoHee answered.

"Oh. What brought her there?"

"Her mother remarried."

We were almost to the dojo, which was positioned near the Southern Gate. ChoHee led me inside and I saw for myself who SoonMin was.

She was dressed in a gray Kyoshi Warrior kimono, showing that she was retired in her post. She didn't wear the same Kyoshi Warrior war paint. She wore hers in a similar design, but she had three black stripes under her cheekbones and her eye makeup was a forest green color instead of the usual red. Her hair was in a large bun on the back or her head, which was tucked under a metal headband. She also had cuffs on her wrists, which appeared to have a rolled up wire inside. Her boots were rubber, but with metallic detail around the edge of the soles. She looked like a serious Metalbender.

But her outfit didn't shock me as much as her appearance. I could tell that, even under her makeup and with her age, she was beautiful. She had large green eyes and her hair was the definition of black. She was at least six feet tall. When she smiled at me, I melted. "Hello, Taylor," she said. "My name is SoonMin, but like you, I have a nickname. Please call me Stella. It's easier for people to pronounce. Only the officials call me SoonMin, so you'll hear it occasionally."

I bowed to the very tall woman. "It's nice to finally meet you," I said.

"Taylor, don't bow to me. We're all equals here. In fact we all should be bowing to you," Stella said, smiling. "Avatar Taylor."

"I think 'Yukio' will have to stay in that title," I said, smiling back to her. Her smile was infectious, even more than yawning.

"Please let me introduce you to the other students," Stella said. I hadn't even noticed other people in the room. "You know MiHee and ChoHee already", she began. MiHee waved at me quickly, then returned to meditating before Stella noticed. "Tae Hun is the boy who is meditating. And Dong Min," Stella said, conking the, obviously younger, boy on the head, "Is this little guy who should be meditating, but is sleeping." The younger boy yawned and opened his eyes for about two seconds, but his head slumped down again, realizing that there was no actual theat. Stella rolled her eyes, but did nothing. "Occasionally, you'll see their sisters running around the palace," She said, finishing her sentence.

The older boy, Tae Hun reached out an arm and put his hand on his brother's head and turned it forward. Dong Min did a Karate Chop on his Tae Hun's arm, but Tae Hun didn't stop. "Cut it out, David!" Dong Min yelled. He stood up abruptly. Stella shushed him. Dong Min groaned.

I noticed that the two of them were Fire Nation. They both wore affluent clothes. They looked even fancier than the government officials' clothes.

"I think that we should take a break from meditating," Stella said.

"Sounds good to me," Tae Hun said. His voice was low, but energetic. He stuck out his hand, "I'm Fire Prince Tae Hun, but my friends in the Republic call me David. That," He said, pointing, "Is my little brother. His name is Dong Min, but we call him Caleb." I shook his hand.

I was used to being around royalty at the North Pole. Of course, it was just Chief Anguta and the Tribal Princess, Emi, but I figured they count. I'd grown up with Princess Emi (She was the same age), but we weren't really friends, per se. And Chief Anguta came to our house for dinner every other week after my father passed away, trying to make a play for my mom. "It's nice to meet you," I said trying to act like it was no big deal to talk to him. I debated on whether I should bow to him. So I did a half bow kind of thing.

David smiled and said, "You don't have to bow. Only the Fire Nation citizens have to bow. Here, we're just normal people."

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid.

David was obviously older than I was, and that fact intimidated me. I was the oldest boy in the North Pole. At seventeen, I was considered respectable by all the citizens. Especially since I'd become a master Waterbender. In fact, I was so respected that the tattoo artist in town tattooed the Moon and the Ocean Spirits on my back as an award for my mastery. But I could tell David already had a lot more respect than I did. But I decided I wasn't going to worry about it.


	3. 3: The Chi-Blocker

_Chapter Three: The Chi-Blocker _

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked, eager to jump into training, now that I was adequately awake.

"Think fast!" Stella said, flinging a flat piece of metal at me. I dodged it, but barely. When I looked closer at what she had flung at me, I discovered that it was a fan, exactly like MiHee and ChoHee's. "Excellent, Taylor! I'm very impressed! That's what we're doing today. Evasion. And the girls will be doing the attacking."

"Watch out for ChoHee," David warned. "She's got great aim."

"Now, remember," Stella started, as we walked out of the dojo, "The goal is not to hurt each other, it's to gain the edge on the opponent without using Bending. ChoHee will demonstrate. Just jab at me, ChoHee."

Stella stopped when we were in the grass. ChoHee tilted her arm down and revealed a fan. ChoHee intentionally used the wrong footing and technique to make a jab at Stella with her fans. Stella leaned her body to the right, very lithely. ChoHee changed her footing and jabbed again, but this time, Stella caught her wrist. "I'm not going to show you how to strike back just yet. And for this exercise, we'll only be using hands and feet, not weapons. And chi-blocking is not to be used. David, you will go first."

David stepped out of the group and stood in front of ChoHee. "I'm ready," he said, looking confident. ChoHee nodded, and crouched into a Horse Stance. She took a step to the right, and David stepped to the left.

ChoHee threw a quick punch to David's shoulder. David didn't respond to her punch, he just jumped back. ChoHee swept a kick around, aiming for David's shins. He jumped over her leg. ChoHee suddenly kicked upwards, directed at David's face. David moved his head just in time and caught ChoHee's foot on its descent.

ChoHee laughed and said, "You're getting better at this, David. One day you might be a formidable opponent." David stuck out his tongue out at her. They bowed to each other.

"Me next!" Caleb shouted. "I want to fight ChoHee!"

"Are you sure, bro? Don't you remember what happened last time you tussled with ChoHee?"

Caleb wrinkled his nose up. "Yeah, but MiHee is too easy to beat."

MiHee's green eyes became very wide. It looked like her world was shaken just from her expression. She then shook her head. "I let you win because I felt bad for you. Don't flatter yourself," She said, trying to play it cool, even though her voice was thick. "And I'll prove it."

MiHee started advancing on him. She tried to plant a jab to his armpit, but she missed. He dodged all her attacks. Then, in frustration, she threw her fan and it hit him in the arm. Caleb left his arm up, and MiHee hit the inside of his wrist. Then, in almost blinding speed, she hit his arm in several places, which made Caleb's left arm go limp and useless. I popped the lid of my canteen and waited for her next strike.

When MiHee attacked again, she was met with a Water Whip to her hand, which spun her around toward me. "MiHee. Don't hurt him," I said evenly.

"Taylor, she didn't hurt him. He'll be fine in a few minutes," ChoHee said, impassive in her expression.

"MiHee, I want you to call your parents and take a break, okay?" Stella said in a motherly tone of voice. MiHee nodded, then ran into the dojo. "Okay, Taylor, you and ChoHee are going to practice while David and I take Caleb inside."

"I can take a look at him if you want," I piped up as David and Stella leaned down to pick up Caleb. Caleb looked at me like I was crazy and David must not have heard me, because he continued to lift his legs. "I'm a pretty good healer, if I do say so myself." Stella looked at me.

"Uh… Sure, Taylor," she said. "Go ahead."

I drew some water out of my canteen and covered my palms in water, making Water Gloves. Stella rolled up Caleb's sleeve. I kneeled down beside Caleb and placed my hands over his limp arm.

I could feel all sorts of energy twisted in his arm. It was as if he had completely severed his ability to Bend. But suddenly, the energy straightened out and energy returned to his arm, along with blood flow. I looked at my hands and wondered what I did. "That should do it. Do you feel better?" I asked Caleb.

"Yeah," he answered in amazement. "A lot better."

"Can you Earthbend again?" I asked curiously.

Caleb put his hand on his left wrist. He had a flat band of metal fitted around his wrist, and when he touched it, the band loosened. "Yeah," he said, again. I sighed in relief.

"Well done, Taylor!" Stella said.

I wasn't really paying attention to Stella. I was only vaguely aware of David helping his brother up off the ground. I was really focused on ChoHee. The corners of her mouth twitched when she looked at me. It was her approximation of a smile. The only reason I could tell, was because her eyes lit up and her chocolate-colored irises appeared to dance as the sun began to rise over Ba Sing Se. I turned away when I realized I was looking at her for over the accepted amount of time and fought the urge to look at her again.

"Are you ready to be attacked?" ChoHee joked.


	4. 4: Stella and The Independent Nation

Chapter Four: _Stella and the Independent Nation_

I twiddled my thumbs in nervousness as Taylor walked into the dojo. He looked surprised when he saw me sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Please have a seat, Taylor," I said. He sat down across from me.

He looked excited and eager to learn, but I wasn't calling him down to teach him anything related to Earthbending. I wished that I was. Because telling people bad news was not my area of expertise. Plus, the fact that it jeopardized the lives of all the people who lived in various locations of the palace. _Take it easy, SoonMin_, I thought.

"So, what are we learning? How to make a suit of Earth? How to Metalbend?"

"Not today," I said laughing quietly. Then I composed myself. "We actually need to talk about some suspicious activity that has been happening."

Taylor's smile faded. He was scared. It was completely evident. I wished that I could wrap him in my arms and tell him that everything's going to be fine. But I couldn't guarantee anything. "There was a breach in security last night," I said, nervously.

"Okay. Why is this a problem?" He asked.

"It was a breach in the student house," I answered.

I saw the information sink into his mind. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He rubbed his forehead with his hand. I decided to speak. "Taylor, have you ever heard of the Independent Nation?" I asked.

"My grandfather mentioned it," He said, "It's a group of people who live separately from the Four Nations."

I could tell that Keskae, his grandfather, had left the worst parts out. I believe that Anana kept Taylor too secluded, which made him naïve and sheltered. I knew that it was only to protect him, but the way he interacted with the other kids proved how socially inept he was. And he hadn't been able to Earthbend at all, even after four weeks of training.

"Kind of. But there's more to them than that," I said.

"Really?"

"Yes," I replied, "They're actually an organization."

"They are? What do they do?"

I took a deep breath, "They try to smooth over conflicts. Which has started a minor revolution. They don't believe that you, um… are alive."

"So that's why my mom hid me. She knew all along," Taylor said. His lip quivered, as he tried not to cry. I wanted to hug him, but something inside of me said that now was not the time to comfort him.

I'd never had children of my own, but I had developed a maternal side from working with children and teenagers. I'd worked with David all his life and Caleb for almost all of his. And I loved them as if they were my own. And I'd known Taylor for all of his life, too. "It wasn't her idea," I said.

"Whose idea was it?" he asked.

"It was Lyn-Chen's idea," I answered.

"Who?" He asked.

I felt even worse for him, then. If he didn't know anything about Lyn-Chen, he didn't know anything about the past Avatars. He didn't know Hitomi. He didn't know anything about Anana's past. And, most importantly, he had no idea what the Avatar even did. "Lyn-Chen was the Avatar before you, Taylor. I would tell you more, but I need to talk to your mother first."

"Okay," he said.

"Take a break," I said. "Go have a snack and drink some water. Practice will begin at regular time."

It was time to talk to Anana.


	5. 5: The Mom Problem

Chapter Five: _The Mom Problem_

After Stella and I talked, I tried to walk out of the dojo, but I just couldn't. Something was calling me there. I was pretty sure I was crazy, until I heard Stella's voice.

"Anana, you've completely desensitized him. He doesn't know anything about your past or Lyn-Chen's. Does he even know the job of the Avatar?" Stella said.

Then, I heard my mom speak, "Stella, of course he does. He just won't talk to you because you're not me."

"Anana, that's the problem. All he ever did was talk to you and Keskae. Yukio has very little people skills. You should see him with my other students. He talks to them, but not very much."

"So? Maybe he doesn't like them," Mom said.

"He has a crush on one of the girls. I doubt that he doesn't like them," Stella said. I could feel my face getting red.

"Maybe he should come home and put off his learning for another year," Mom suggested.

"I don't think that's a very good idea. He hasn't made any progress with Earthbending at all. I think time away would make it worse. Hitomi and Dukran agree with me."

"So I'm the last person to know about my own son?" Mom asked in her fake-angry-voice.

"No. We talked about it yesterday. I wanted to talk to Taylor - I mean Yukio- before I talked to you. But now I know he needs to learn much more than I expected."

"And I suppose you are going to teach him, SoonMin?" Mom questioned sarcastically. "You don't know anything. You're just a baby."

"It doesn't matter who teaches him. The point is that Yukio needs to learn about his duty. And obviously about himself, too. He may have needed protection, but hiding him didn't mean he wasn't allowed to have a normal childhood. Did Keskae Jr. even know about his son being the Avatar?"

I felt a pang of pain at the mention of my father's name. I was eager to hear her response, hoping that she (and apparently some rogue Order of the White Lotus) let my father in on the secret. I was shocked when she said, "No. Keskae didn't know."

"Then how did you explain moving to the North Pole to him?" Stella asked.

"I didn't have to. Keskae wanted to go to his home anyway."

"Look, Anana, Taylor is immature. We need to teach him about his job before we can proceed with training," Stella argued.

"Once again, who is going to teach him?"

"We figured it would be more beneficial if someone closer to his age taught him."

"Do you even have anyone like that?"

Stella laughed. "Of course we do! Have you ever met any of Dukran's children?"

"No, but I talk to Dukran often."

"Well, she has a daughter who is amazingly gifted. Not just in Bending and archery, but in knowledge," Stella said.

"Please tell me you aren't going to bring Hana there," my mom pleaded.

"No. Hana is staying with Dukran while Myung Dae is away. Chi-Ji is whom I am speaking of."


	6. 6: The Prodigy

Chapter Six: _The Prodigy_

"Hi! I'm Chi-Ji! It's nice to meet you, Taylor!" a young girl said excitedly.

The Fire Lord's daughter, Chi-Ji, had come to stay at the palace. She apparently was an amazing archer and Firebender. But I could also tell she was one of those people who finds everything fascinating. She immediately became friends with MiHee, which didn't surprise me, but her attitude was so great that she even made friends with ChoHee, who didn't talk to anyone.

"Hi, Princess Chi-Ji," I said half-heartedly. "It's nice to meet you, too." After I said this, I tried to smile at her, but I was shocked at the scars on her face and chin. I tried not to stare, but the burn spots were impossible to ignore. One of Chi-Ji's scars ran from the bottom of her chin, down the left side of her neck, and disappeared under her collar. Another was shaped like a tear drop directly on her cheekbone.

Despite all of this, she was still one of the most beautiful girls I'd seen. Her beauty was about Stella-Level: Classic. She had black hair and gold eyes, like most Fire Nation citizens, but hers were more amber. Her body was small, but athletic. She carried two bows and about forty arrows on her back, which looked extremely heavy. But Chi-Ji didn't appear to be burdened by the load.

Her brothers hugged her last. She ran into David's arms. David caught her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's been too long, Chi-Ji. I've missed you."

Caleb was less enthusiastic when Chi-Ji ran into his arms. He caught her, but didn't hug her afterward. "Hi, baby brother!" Chi-Ji said. Especially since Chi-Ji was several inches taller than Caleb. The seven-year-old was squashed up against her stomach.

"Chi-Ji, It's only been a year and a half," Caleb complained.

"Seven years old is a lot different than six years old," Chi-Ji answered lovingly.

"So, Chi-Ji, what brings you here?" I asked. I was still feigning innocence about hearing Stella and my mom talking on the phone. I was waiting for Stella to bust me, but if she knew, she pretended like she didn't have a clue.

"I'm here to tell you what I know about the Avatar," Chi-Ji answered.

"Why?" I asked.

David, whom was standing next me in the dining room, piped up. "Because the Avatar has been very involved with the Fire Nation Royal Family."

"Yes," Chi-Ji said, proudly, "In fact, my mother was going to teach Lyn-Chen Firebending."

"Huh. That's pretty cool," I said. "I guess I'm already working with the family." I smiled at Chi-Ji. She beamed and blushed. David laughed at her.

"Chi-Ji is never embarrassed," David responded, "Good job, Taylor."

I laughed, but it sounded forced.

Ever since I heard Stella and my mother talking, I'd been hyperaware of all my social interactions. I was constantly paranoid thinking, _did that sound girly_, or _am I really awkward around this person? _It drove me absolutely insane. The not knowing.

And then, the "made no progress in Earthbending" comment didn't really help my self-esteem. It left me peeved that I couldn't move any amount of rock or even dirt. The comment made me try harder, which also made me more frustrated. Especially when MiHee and ChoHee did it with ease.

Stella had tried to encourage me, but I wasn't having any of that. And my mom just tried to make me come home. The only person who gave me any true support was my grandfather. He reminded me that energy moves differently in Earth. He told me I would figure it out eventually.

"So Chi-Ji, you're a Firebender?" I asked.

"Yes, I am. But I don't use it very often," she answered.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I hurt someone I love. Plus, I prefer Chi-blocking and archery. I trained in Firebending for years, though," she answered.

_Girls are confusing_, I thought as I realized she told me the whole truth. I wanted to pry more, but I had a better question than _who? _"Chi-Ji, will you teach me Firebending?"

"I can show you some stuff. But my sister is much more experienced," she admitted.

David cut her off. "Chi-Ji, you have so much potential. You can make blue flames, which hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. Hana-"

Chi-Ji cut him off. "Tae Hun, you sound exactly like Dad," she snapped. I hadn't heard David called by his real name since the day I met him. Chi-Ji must have been angry. Or maybe she was just really sensitive about her gift. Either way, it was out of character for her. She shook her head, controlling herself, and then smiled. "Taylor, I look forward to teaching you. I've been wanting to meet you as long as I've known SoonMin… uh, I mean, Stella," Chi-Ji said.

We walked to the dining table. I pulled Chi-Ji's chair out for her, then sat in the seat next to her. David sat on the other side of her. And at twelve o'clock on the dot, MiHee cartwheeled into the room, followed by ChoHee and Caleb who were walking normally. Stella did two back handsprings into the room, then did a back flip, and stuck the landing. Chi-Ji giggled. "Hi, Stella," Chi-Ji said, as Caleb pulled out a chair for both MiHee and ChoHee.

"Chi-Ji, since we're all here, I think it's time to start learning. Some of us know more about the Avatar Cycle than others, but I was hoping you could talk about it," Stella said. Chi-Ji's face lit up when Stella asked for her to speak.

"Okay," Chi-Ji said. She took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"The Avatar Cycle is not only the calendar we use, but also cycle of Avatar births. The cycle always moves in a specific, rigid order: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. With this cycle, we can always know the nationality of the next Avatar. Taylor, you are the Water Avatar. After you die, the Avatar will reincarnate into a citizen in the next nation in the cycle. The Avatar after you will be an Earthbender. After that, a Firebender, and so on," Chi-Ji said.

"Thank you, Chi-Ji. Will you talk about Sozin's Comet, as well?" Stella asked.

"Sure."

"Sozin's Comet, once called the Great Comet, brushes Earth's atmosphere every hundred years. When it hits Earth's atmosphere, it is set on fire. This comet's energy can be harnessed by Firebenders when the comet is in our atmosphere. Firelord Ozai once said that the comet gave a Firebender the 'power of a thousand suns'.

"There are two major events that happened under the comet's influence. The first is known as the Air Nomad Genocide. Firelord Sozin used the comet's power to wipe out all the Air Nomads, hoping to kill the Avatar. He didn't kill the Avatar, and because of that, he started a war known as the Hundred Year War. This was a world war that literally took place for a hundred years, from on passing of Sozin's Comet to the next.

"Firelord Ozai tried to win war by using the comet's power to burn the Earth Kingdom until it was just ash, but was thwarted by the original Team Avatar and Avatar Aang. But I'll talk more about Aang and Team Avatar some other time," Chi-Ji said. She smiled at Stella.

"Thank you for sharing, Chi-Ji," Stella said, with real gratitude. "When you all are finished with your meal, please meet me in the dojo. Come with me, Chi-Ji."

As Stella and Chi-Ji left, Caleb spoke. "Finally she's gone!" He yelled. ChoHee just looked at him and shook her head slightly. David didn't say anything, he just continued to eat his vegetable soup. But MiHee spoke up.

"Why don't you like your sister?" she asked.

Caleb didn't appear to think about the answer, like he had already thought it out. But his answer was not drawn out or dishonest. He simply said, "Because she's a Firebender."

4


	7. 7: David and Caleb

7: _David and Caleb*_

I immediately felt for my brother. No matter how many times I told him that Earthbending was just as good as Firebending, he wouldn't believe me. I tried not to get frustrated with him, because I had been in his position just twelve years ago. Except Caleb's situation was much worse than mine ever was.

Caleb and I were similar in so many ways. Other than the obvious, we each had an older sister. Both sisters were Firebenders. Both of us lived in their shadows. Both of us were disowned by our father, Fire King Myung Dae.

My disownment started before I was born. My mother, Firelord Dukran, announced my birth and also revealed my bending abilities. She was nervous to tell our excited country that for the first time in history, a non-Firebending prince was expected. But she was more afraid of my father's reaction.

King Myung Dae was more than disappointed. He was in denial. For years after my birth, he made me study Firebending in hopes that the doctor was wrong. He tried desperately to teach me Firebending, but, of course, I made no progress.

Even more than he wanted me to be a Firebender, I wanted to be a Firebender. My mom, also a Firebender, had taught me basic Earthbending, which she had learned from Stella. When my father found out, he was furious. He challenged me, a non-Firebender, at age seven, to an Agni Kai, which I obviously couldn't win.

My mother intervened and protected me, but I still was burned across my chest. My mom was unlucky and got burned across the stomach. The worst part of her accident was that she was two months pregnant with Chi-Ji.

Very shortly after Chi-Ji was born (enough time for our family portrait to be redone), I was sent to Ba Sing Se. I worked on Earthbending for years, but I still couldn't move anything. It was the first chakra –Earth– that had been blocked by my father's inhumane actions and my fear of him.

About six years later, when we found out that Chi-Ji was a prodigy Firebender, I was immediately filled with joy, but also with hurt. While I loved Chi-Ji, I was jealous of her Firebending abilities. She had everything I wanted. But I realized I had more and that I didn't need to weigh her down. That's when the chakra finally opened and I could move on.

But Caleb's story was different. Seven years after Chi-Ji was born, Caleb was welcomed into the world. My father believed my mom when she said he was an Earthbender. He basically just disowned Caleb. But worse, he disowned my mom.

Like myself, Caleb was challenged to an Agni Kai. Except Caleb stood a chance. Caleb was a prodigy himself. At Metalbending. Hana and Chi-Ji stepped in. Hana succeeding in burning my father, who was very proud. But Hana also stepped in front of one of Chi-Ji's fire streams which left the right side of Hana's face destroyed. But that's another story.

But Caleb was still hurt. He blamed Chi-Ji and Hana for his problems. He said he still loved Dad. He thought he wasn't good enough. Even though he's done amazing things with his bending, even though he has everything he's ever wanted; it still wasn't as good as being a Firebender in his mind.

And he was lonely because of his own feelings.

*See "Dukran's Second Child" for more info on David's birth announcement. Hana, Chi-Ji and Caleb's birth announcements are in the process of being written, but they'll be out soon. -Stephanie


	8. 8: Taylor and the Firebender

8: _Taylor and the Firebender_

"I figured since we haven't had much progress with Earthbending, I figured we could work on a little Firebending," Stella said.

Chi-Ji, Stella, and I were standing outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. It was an open, rocky landscape that we used for Earthbending. Stella said that it was an old quarry site that was used during the construction of Republic City and the restoration of the Southern Air Temple's Sanctuary. She said that the land was a gift to the Beifongs from the Earth King after Avatar Hyun-Ki died.

Even though Stella was only the step-child of a Beifong, she had serious seismic sense. She was an expert in traditional, seismic, pro, and regional Earthbending. She also knew all sorts of Waterbending, Firebending and Airbending forms. She had friends all over the world and had been everywhere. She had prepared me to study every type of bending. She even knew stuff about Waterbending that I didn't.

Stella and Chi-Ji in one day, had made me a better Avatar. Today, we were going to get back to bending. "So, Taylor, have you made any Fire at all?" Chi-Ji asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. When I was younger. My mom said I melted a lot of stuff when I was a toddler. I don't remember, though."

Chi-Ji nodded appreciatively. "That's how most kids find out they're Firebenders. It's harder to trace in the womb than Earthbending and Waterbending. And of course, almost all Air Nomad children are Airbenders.

"Anyway, Taylor, your goal today is to make the Breath of Fire," Chi-Ji said. "It's not necessarily a simple move. It takes a lot of breath control, which I know you have. The breathing techniques in Firebending, however, are much different from the ones used in Waterbending."

"How?" I asked.

"Firebending breathing techniques are meant to be continuous, while Waterbending breathing techniques are shorter. It's offense versus defense. Firebenders tend to strike first in an attack," Stella said. "As the Avatar, it's important to know your attacker. Regardless of bending style. And in turn, know how to gain the advantage, whether that means bending, or being evasive."

"I'm going to give you another lesson," Chi-Ji said. "About one of the past Avatars."

"Okay," I responded. I was beginning to like Chi-Ji's lessons. She was never boring and her stories were always relevant.

"The Fire Avatar before you was named Akari*. She was a very stoic woman, but she was extremely insightful. She wrote down her technique and the similarities between all the elements. But she more frequently wrote about the different types of benders.

"Most Firebenders who are not masters, according to Akari, used too much force and not enough breath. Most Waterbenders who are not masters, lose stamina quickly because they breathe too much or too quickly. So in other words, you have to learn breath control for Firebending or it won't work. So let's start working," Chi-Ji finished.

"Okay, Taylor, this breathing technique is more important than the other ones you'll learn from me. Breathe from your diaphragm. It's right below your ribcage," Chi-Ji said.

"This is also where you'll need to breathe from in Earthbending and in general," Stella interjected. "Your diaphragm pushes up on your lungs. You'll feel like you're doing sit-ups if you're breathing correctly."

"Okay," I said. "You aren't going to laugh at me if I do it wrong, right?" All of my insecurities had started crashing around me. Stella's eyes were compassionate as hung my head.

"Of course not, Taylor. We love you. Who's been laughing at you?" Stella asked.

"No one, yet. I feel it coming, though," I said.

"Taylor. Bending is one of the most difficult things to master. Almost everybody does it once. You have to do it four times. We _all_ know that. We support each other. Even a master messes up sometimes. Don't you ever misfire at a target, Taylor? Because I do. A lot," Stella said. "No one will laugh at you. What you're doing is very brave. And the job you have is noble and respected. So don't worry."

Chi-Ji nodded. "Taylor, my mother and father and sister are master Firebenders. They've definitely messed up. My family and I all have training scars, except for Caleb," she said, pointing to her a small red mark under her eye. And then again to her chin and neck. "David's scars are on his chest. My mom has one across her stomach. Hana's scar –the most noticeable one anyway -" Chi-Ji choked up a little, then controlled herself. "Is on the entire right half of her face. My father's is on the back of his right hand."

"What's the story there?" I asked, apparently putting my foot in my mouth. Stella took her hand and gave a _cut it out_ gesture. Chi-Ji sighed.

"I'll tell you later." Chi-Ji said absently, "We need to practice some. It's almost sunset. We don't want to be arrested." Chi-Ji winked at Stella. Stella just rolled her eyes. "You ready to make some fire, Taylor?"

"Yeah," I said weakly. I did an unenthusiastic fist pump.

"You'll be great. I know it," Stella encouraged.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay take a really deep breath, Taylor," Chi-Ji said. "Your throat will feel hot. Nod when you feel it."

I few seconds later I nodded.

"It'll be too hot in a few more seconds. When it is, exhale through your nose for as long as you can, pushing from your diaphragm. Your nose will burn a little bit, but keep going or you'll burn your throat. Do it now."

I exhaled slowly. Smoke came out of my nose as I did. It shocked me so much that I inhaled sharply. And it did burn my throat. I sat down in the dirt and coughed. Stella grabbed the water skin from around my neck and put it up to my lips. I drank every drop I could without Waterbending.

"Sorry, Taylor. I should have told you what was going to happen," Chi-Ji apologized with her hand over her mouth.

"It's fine. Let's go again," I said. I stood up.

"Are you kidding, Taylor? You're hurt!" Chi-Ji shouted, looking at me like I was completely insane. She even had tears in her eyes.

"Chi-Ji, I'm fine. I'm self-healing," I said, trying to calm her down.

"What?" she asked.

"Some Waterbenders with the ability to heal, can heal themselves. I'm a healer. I can also heal myself. That's why Stella gave me water. My throat is perfectly fine. Don't worry," I answered.

"You're really okay?" She asked.

"One hundred percent," I assured.

"I guess you really _do_ learn something new every day," Chi-Ji said smiling. "Anyway… do you want to try it again?"

Just then, two Dai-Li agents began sliding down the outer walls. Their technique was impeccable. They moved gracefully, but accurately, much like Stella's example. And almost as soon as they started, they finished their descent.

"Soon Min," one of the agents addressed Stella, "Avatar, Princess Chi-Ji. There has been a breach in security."

"Thank you for telling me, Agent," Stella said. She pulled out a portable telephone.

Stella started speaking into it quickly and in the rarely used language of the Earth Kingdom. I didn't speak it very well, but what I could understand of it was my name mixed in with a lot of other familiar names.

Chi-Ji was listening to Stella, too. Chi-Ji obviously understood. I looked at her about to ask her to translate, but she had a finger over her mouth. Stella looked at her and obviously asked her a question. Chi-Ji answered in the same tongue, but less fluid in tone. Then, Stella rose by making a pillar of earth underneath her, and bounded over the wall.

Chi-Ji looked at me. "We've got to go, Taylor," she said in Republic, so I could understand her.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're going over the Serpent's Pass."

* See more of Akari's story in "The Life of Akari"


	9. 9: The Serpent Pass

Chapter 9: _The Serpent's Pass_

"This doesn't really look like a serpent to me," I said to Chi-Ji as I was looking up at the high cliffs and sheer face of the path. They looked menacing in the light of just the moon. "It looks like a mountain."

Chi-Ji giggled. "It's called the Serpent's Pass because there was a sea serpent, much like the Unagi, that guarded the path. The Serpent's spirit was long ago tamed by Avatar Aang. No one has seen the Serpent since then, but the path is dangerous regardless. No one uses it."

"So why are we?" I asked.

"Full Moon Bay is a long swim for anyone, including a Waterbender. It's fourteen miles across," She said, hinting at the fact that she might be smarter than me.

"If I could get into the Avatar State, then I co-"

"No. We aren't using the Avatar State. That's for emergencies only. We're walking across so no one can follow. Also, it's nighttime." She said. She started walking on the path, "We'll be fine." I just shrugged and started following her.

As the path led us higher and higher, the sky also got darker and darker. Chi-Ji walked at a normal pace, but I started to slow down. She stopped for a second, "Are you coming?" She shouted.

"I can't see a thing, Chi-Ji!" I shouted back to her.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot!" She said, lighting a tiny, blue fire in her hand. When I caught up to her, she giggled. "Here," she said. She dropped a flame into my hand. When it didn't burn me hand, she smiled. "Now all you have to do is give it a little fuel. So get emotional. And remember to breathe."

I played with the fire a little bit. I threw it from hand to hand. I started laughing. Chi-Ji laughed along with me. "C'mon! We need to keep going. We have to catch our airship."

"So where are we going?" I asked.

Chi-Ji's smile faded. She seemed wary. She opened her mouth and floundered around for words. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you," whispered.

My immediate response was to freak out. "What do you mean? Did Stella tell you that?"

"Not directly," she answered. "I just think it'd be a bad thing to say."

"Well, why don't you tell me who Stella thinks broke into the palace?"

"It wasn't just the palace."

"Come on, Chi-Ji. You're not telling the Avatar," I said.

"What I have been told, is to protect you at all costs. I think telling you would leave you vulnerable," she countered.

"What was taken from the palace?"

"Nothing," Chi-Ji said.

"Okay. So why are we leaving?"

"You keep asking me the same question in a different way!" Chi-Ji shouted, "I'm not going to change my answer."

"Just tell me the truth, Chi-Ji!"

"I'm just trying to protect you!" She shouted back.

"From what?" I yelled back in her face.

"From me," a voice said from behind Chi-Ji.

A woman had a dagger up against Chi-Ji's neck. "Not another sound, Princess. If you struggle, I'll kill you."

"What do you want with the Princess?" I asked.

"I don't want anything with her. I want you," The woman said.

I finally got a good look at the woman. Her hair was dark and her eyes were a deep brown. Her lips were a dark purple color, like blood. She was wearing dark jeans, a black, long-sleeve shirt, and a leather jacket. I briefly saw the insignia on the blade in her hand. _SuJin. _

"If I go with you, will you leave the Princess alone?" I asked. Chi-Ji looked at me. Her silent _no_ was louder than if she would have shouted it. The woman smiled. She released Chi-Ji and put the knife away. Chi-Ji fell on her knees, her royal head piece fell out of her bun.

"I can promise you that. For now," the woman said.

"Alright, then. Let's go, SuJin," I said. I tilted my head toward the walls, which were still visible.

"SuJin isn't my name." The woman said quietly, sounding more tired than menacing.

"Okay, then what is it?" I said, thinking about how I must have stuck my foot in my mouth.

"Kohanna," the woman said.

"You're Southern Water Tribe?"

"No more talking!" The woman snapped. "Get out of here, Princess."

Chi-Ji nodded, her eyes filled with horror. _I'll be back, _she mouthed. _I'll be fine_ I mouthed back. She didn't seem convinced, but she ran toward the city anyway. I turned and looked at Kohanna as she watched Chi-Ji go.

"Hold on to my waist, Avatar," Kohanna said. I shot her a look, like _oh heck no. _She sighed. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way," She added. Kohanna scooped me up, wedding style, and before I could react, threw herself off the cliff.

We must have fell a couple of thousand feet. But she didn't look concerned. In fact, she looked totally bored. Then, just as I braced myself to submerge, she put a toe to the water and landed on her feet. "You're a… Waterbender?" I asked.

"No, I just jumped off a cliff and safely landed in choppy water," she said sarcastically.

"Oh," I said.

"You can walk on this, can't you?" Kohanna asked.

"Yeah," I said. Kohanna put me down, after waving her hand to make a clear place for me to stand. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"This way, Avatar," she said quietly, pointing to the south. "Follow me."

We began walking across the water slowly. "Are you sure you don't wanna fight?" Kohanna asked. We walked for a few more moments before I answered. I was hoping that she thought I was carefully considering it.

Kohanna didn't seem fooled. "Nah. I'm a little tired," I said.

Kohanna smirked. "That was my excuse, too," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing! You sure talk a lot," Kohanna said. Her phrase indicated annoyance but her face didn't show it.

"So where are we going?" I asked, trying to be less annoying.

"I wish I knew, kid."

"You don't know?"

"I'm just taking you to my boss," Kohanna answered.

"Who is he?" I asked. "Or she," I added, to be respectful. Then I thought, _what am I doing? Being polite to my captor? I really am desensitized. _

"I can't tell you that," Kohanna whispered. She seemed sad. I could see that she was somewhat emotional because the water around her wasn't as placid as it was before. She didn't talk for a long time after that. She just kept walking.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked her quietly.

"You just did," Kohanna answered.

"I mean another one."

"Sure."

"Why are you doing this work if it makes you sad?"

"I have a duty, Avatar."

"Well, yeah. But what is it?"

"You know how it is, right? Sometimes you do stuff you don't wanna do. That's what I gotta do. I owe someone," Kohanna said, slipping into some strange accent that I'd never heard anyone use. I couldn't quite place it. But she still didn't answer my question.

Kohanna wasn't scared or even scary, I decided. She just had an idea of servitude. She was trying to prove herself to someone. But to whom?

I had thought that I was going to make a perfect getaway. Evading multiple attackers, dodging arrows. Bending all the elements like a mega-awesome Avatar. Kicking someone's butt without using bending. Things that would make me feel exhilarated and make myself proud. But now, I could barely think of trying to escape from this woman. She needed me to prove herself. "Kohanna, you don't have to go back to this person. I can make you safe."

Kohanna snorted. "I wouldn't be safe anywhere, Avatar. I'm a criminal. I should be in the Boiling Rock right now locked up with the other scum and the crazies. Actually, I probably should be dead. I got a reward on me larger than the Beifongs' bank account."

"What have you done that's so terrible?"

"Depends on who you ask. And in what city. And under what name."

"So, is Kohanna your real name?"

"No," she said. "But it's the name I like. And the one my father gave me."

"So you have another name?"

"_Names_, Taylor."

I did a double take. "I didn't tell you my name."

"Your friend said it," Kohanna said.

"Not my name," I said. "Unless you watching me Firebend."

"I just knew your name, okay?"

I decided not to push it.

"Are we there yet?" I asked, trying not to make the usually annoying-question sound annoying.

"In a few minutes. Our yacht is up there," Kohanna said. She pointed at a faint light on the horizon.

"Yacht?"

"I travel in style, kid," Kohanna explained. "My boss provides for me."

"So, is he famous?" I asked.

"No. But he's very rich. He's an investor in a medicinal corporation. He's also a doctor," she said. "Mostly on a volunteer basis, but he's paid by the government of his home."

"A volunteer doctor who dabbles in shady business ventures?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess"

"Do I get to meet him?"

"No. It's too unsafe. You'll meet one of his associates, though.

"Okay," I answered.

"Why aren't you scared?" Kohanna asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

"Am I supposed to be?"

"Well, I just had a knife to the Fire Princess's neck. I would be scared."

"Scare tactics are not effective with me. I don't get scared about myself. It's other people I get scared about," I admitted.

"Don't you realize that you could be telling this to an enemy?" Kohanna asked, giving me the 'are you crazy' look again.

"I don't care."

"Look, kid, I want you to turn around and go back to Ba Sing Se. Tell everyone that you beat up a woman called Nami," she said.

"But why?" I asked.

"Nami is my real name," she said.

"I'm not going to tell them that."

"Just listen to me, Taylor. My boss will not be kind to you. And you will meet him when you become a fully realized Avatar. He'd kill you if he met you now," Kohanna explained.

"So you're letting me go?"

"Yeah."

"What about your duty?"

"Don't worry about me." Kohanna said, "Just go."

"Are you-?"

"Go!"

"Kohanna,"

"Just let me go," She said.

Kohanna made a large wave and pushed it at me. I stumbled backward and fell underwater. I just let myself sink for a minute, and when I poked my head up above water, Kohanna was gone and so was the ship. So I turned around and swam back to Ba Sing Se, hoping the danger was gone.

But when I got to the city, things had just gotten worse.

*I'm in the process of writing about Hyun-Ki. His story will be here soon.


	10. The Collapse of Ba Sing Se: Part One

Chapter Ten - Part One, Chi-Ji: _The Collapse of Ba Sing Se _

As soon as I got into Ba Sing Se, I ran to the palace as quickly as I could. As people saw me, they stared. I ran right into a man who looked at me with a confused look on his face. "Princess, it's not a good idea for you to run around in this neighborhood at this time of night," he said. I just ran around him and kept going.

I started to get lost in the middle ring of town. I walked past an alley, and inside, I heard talking. "It's a good thing we got past the Dai-Li. Now that we have uniforms, we can start the uprising. This city will soon be claimed for King Myung Dae!" A man said. When I saw that he had his back to me, I slinked against the wall. I took my bow off my back and took three arrows out of my quiver.

I shot all three arrows at once, and they pinned two men to the alley wall. I hadn't noticed anyone else in the alley but when I crept into the alley, I saw at least twenty men. There was a bomb strapped to the wall, attached to a detonator. The first thought in my mind was _how could I possibly destroy that? _But I decided my best option was to run.

So I bolted.


	11. The Collapse of Ba Sing Se: Part Two

Chapter 10 –Part 2, ChoHee: _The Collapse of Ba Sing Se_

"Taylor!" I shouted. He was running into the palace grounds from the East Gate. He was obviously looking for someone. He locked eyes with me and ran toward me, faster than he had before.

Taylor saw all the people gathered around me trying to pick me up. I was trying to chi-block, but the people had both of my arms tied. I couldn't Earthbend in the situation either because, not only were my hands tied, but I had no sturdy contact with the ground; my feet were useless.

The rebels had blocked Taylor from my view, but I saw a tree twist as all of the water inside was sucked out. Taylor then blasted the soldiers with an enormous water whip. The soldier who had been holding me had been knocked down, but amazingly, I remained standing and almost completely dry.

"That was almost bad," Taylor said, untying my arms. I rubbed my wrists. Just then, a thunderous explosion sounded from the outer wall. Taylor looked at me. "This is now bad." He kept staring at all the smoke, so I started running.

Taylor caught up to me quickly. "Where's Stella?" he shouted. Another explosion resounded, closer to the inner wall.

"I don't know, Taylor!" I shouted back. "But I'm not going to stick around to find out!"

"So what's the plan?"

"To run and hope we find an exit!"

"Sounds legit! Where are the others?" He asked, still running with me. Another explosion went off and shattered the inner wall. The screaming was louder now.

"I don't know!"

Just then, Taylor ran into someone. A girl with long black hair with a crossbow in her arms. It was Chi-Ji! "Thank goodness I found you!" She shouted, being drowned out by more screaming and another explosion. "I found a breach in the wall! Come on!"

"I'm not going!" Taylor and I both shouted at the same time.

"Are you crazy?" Chi-Ji yelled.

"Yes!" Taylor said.

"I have to find MiHee!" I said.

"Then I'm staying, too!" Chi-Ji insisted.

"GO!" Taylor and I shouted.

"These are the people I want to protect! I don't want to die a coward!" Chi-Ji yelled.

Neither of us argued with her after that.

The most earsplitting sound roared behind us at the palace wall. Smoke rolled over us. Taylor pushed my head down under the smoke so I could breathe. "I have to get in there!" He shouted in my ear. "Get out of here! If I don't see you again, know that I love you." He smiled at me. I grabbed his hand and hoisted myself up. "Don't leave the princess. I'll find MiHee and bring her back."

"Thank-you," I croaked. There was too much smoke for me to talk anymore.

I couldn't see or hear a thing for what seemed like a life time. It was just explosion after explosion after explosion. I couldn't distinguish where sounds were coming from anymore. I just laid in the rubble crying.

And somehow, I fell asleep, wondering what the city would look like when I woke up.


	12. Taylor in the Rubble

_Taylor_

By the time the sun came up, the rebels were gone. They left the entire city destroyed. The city looked worse than a post-apocalyptic mover. I tried not to look at the dead bodies as I sifted through what remained, trying to find survivors, but they were too many to count. I tried my hardest to count, but I stopped after counting to ninety. I wasn't surprised that I had found no survivors. _Who could have lived through this hell? _ I thought.

The city was unbelievably large. I had walked for maybe three hours and hadn't even cleared one district of the city. I had been able to use Earthbending to move the stone bricks out of my path. I thought, _I guess I never had a significant enough reason to Earthbend before_. I had found a few radios, and I had picked up every single one of them in hopes of finding a signal, but I was not close enough to a radio tower, and there was no way that I was leaving the city to find one until I found my friends.

I found David first. "Thank goodness I found you!" I said as we hugged each other. "I was beginning to lose hope."

"I know the feeling, Taylor. I led some survivors out to an airship that the United Republic sent. They said more were on the way."

"Oh that's good. I was thinking that no one even knew what happened here. Where are Caleb and the girls?"

"Caleb and Chi-Ji went back to the Fire Nation to bring help. ChoHee is with the other Kyoshi Warriors. They're looking for MiHee," David answered. I was relieved that they were okay. But I felt for ChoHee. _MiHee is roaming the streets looking for survivors like I am. She'll be fine. _But I still shuddered at the possibility that she could be captured, or crushed somewhere in the massive amounts of stone rubble.

"Is she with Stella?" I asked, hoping that that might relieve some of my anxiety.

"Probably not. Stella is in Republic City, trying to figure out who had resources to make so many bombs."

"Oh. I'm sure she'll turn up after a while," I said, not entirely convinced, "What about the White Lotus and the Dai-Li?"

"I haven't heard anything about the White Lotus. And many of the Dai-Li members were at Lake Laogai with the Earth King. So he's safe."

"I'm not worried about the Earth King. He's not as important as all these people who are dead around us," I said, surprising myself with the boldness of my words.

David smiled. "Very, very true, Taylor. But even with all the casualties, many more people survived."

"Really?" I asked, suspicious of his words.

"Really. There are bomb shelters everywhere. Ba Sing Se is equipped to handle these emergencies. After all, I don't truly believe that the intent was to kill. I think it was to get attention."

"Do you have any theories?"

"Yeah, but we need to catch up with the Kyoshi Warriors at the palace… er, remains of the palace."

"Then we have a pretty long walk," I stated.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I saw you Earthbending. You can cling to the cobblestone and slide around on it."

"How?"

"It's hard to explain. You have to… magnetize yourself to it," David said. I looked at him, confused. "I told you it'd be weird to explain. You have to just do it. It's like bending itself. You don't know how you have the ability to bend, you just do it. There's no explaining it. It just is."

Then I realized that David was supposed to be my Earthbending teacher. When he said it, it connected. It was like lighting a candle. When you do, it illuminates everything in the room. And that's what happened to my brain.

Then, somehow, I just did it. I slid across the ground like I was skating. David caught up quickly, but I barely noticed. The feeling was exhilarating. I was on edge, but I also felt more alive than I ever had. I must have looked crazy as I threw my head back and laughed loudly. When we got back to the palace (in twenty minutes), I didn't feel like stopping.

But when I saw ChoHee, I stopped. "Did you find her?" ChoHee's eyes were red and swollen. I didn't know that she ever cried. She wasn't crying now, but she was visibly upset. Which was very unsettling. I knew she wasn't heartless, but she never seemed to show any emotion toward her sister except annoyance.

ChoHee ran straight into my arms. I just held her as she cried into my shoulder. "We found her. But she's hurt. Really hurt. Her spine is broken. She can't feel anything below her neck," She said. I could barely understand her because the sound was muffled by the fur of my parka.

"Let me see her. I might be able to help," I said. I tried to walk, but ChoHee didn't let go. I tugged on her arms, but she still didn't let go. "Umm… ChoHee? I want to see MiHee. You gotta let go," I said.

Even though I didn't want to let her go.


	13. Taylor The Healer

_Taylor the Healer_

When I walked into the room (Well, it used to be a room. There wasn't much left of it.), MiHee was laying on a bed with her eyes closed. I knew she wasn't sleeping because her breaths weren't completely even. She smiled when I walked in. "Hi, MiHee," I said, cautiously.

"Hi, Taylor. Hi, ChoHee," MiHee said, cheerfully. She beamed when she finally opened her eyes.

I stood at her bedside. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm fine, I think. I can't move that much, though. I'm not in any pain, though."

"That's good, MiHee. Do you mind if I take a look at your back?"

"Not at all. Just be careful, please," MiHee said. She looked like she was about to lose her cool, but when she looked up at me, she pulled herself back together.

"ChoHee and I are going to flip you over, MiHee. We're going to be very gentle, but if you can feel us, tell us. You broke your back, but I need to see if you're permanently paralyzed," I said patiently. MiHee was still a child. And I could tell that she was very afraid.

ChoHee and I picked MiHee up very carefully. MiHee's body was tense, which was a good sign. If she were limp, I would know that I was too late. We put her back on the bed, face down. "Did you feel anything?" I asked. ChoHee unzipped the zipper on the back of MiHee's uniform.

"No. Should I have?" MiHee asked self-consciously.

"No, No. You're fine," I said. "I was just checking. I'm going to try to heal your back, okay?"

"Okay, heal away, Taylor!" MiHee said enthusiastically.

"I will," I said, swirling some water out of my canteen. I coated my hands with it and laid them on MiHee's back. Her chi in her back was twisted and warped. There was no rhyme or reason to their patterns. But I knew I could fix it. "Well, MiHee, your chi is twisted up real bad. But I can fix it."

"Oh thank Raava!" ChoHee said.

"Will it hurt?" MiHee asked quietly.

"I'd be lying if I said that it would be pain free. I have to reset your spine, kiddo. It'll heal like that if I don't do it soon."

"Okay," MiHee said.

"If you feel it, that's a good sign, actually."

"I'm ready," MiHee said, her voice wavering.

I always carried my vial of water from the Spirit Oasis around my neck. The vial somehow gave me security. It was a reminder of my grandfather and maybe the North Pole in general. All I ever wanted to be was a doctor, so Spirit Water was the only thing that reminded me.

I took the vial and lifted it up over my head. I pulled the catch very carefully so I wouldn't spill it. I drew the Spirit Water out of the vial, coated my hands, and laid them on MiHee's back.

Immediately, her spine reconnected with a loud crack. MiHee started to wail in pain. She kicked her legs and arms. "ChoHee! Help me! I'm not done yet!" I shouted. ChoHee pinned her sister down and I continued to work until her chi was restored.

"I'm done, MiHee. You're going to be okay," I promised.


	14. Taylor The Earthbender

_Taylor the Earthbender_

Stella wasn't offended when I told her that David had taught me a lot of Earthbending when she was away. She was so glad that I could finally Earthbend. She said that David would be an excellent teacher for me while I was away.

"What do you mean 'while I'm away'?" I asked her.

"You are going to the Fire Nation in a few days to learn Firebending from Firelord Dukran," Stella said smiling.

"I've only been here for two and a half months. I need to help with the Reconstruction."

"No, Taylor. We've got it under control. We will have all the best Earthbenders rebuilding."

"But I'm the Avatar! I have to be here! I have to oversee things and be a source of wisdom and-"

"Taylor, right now, you need to focus on learning all the elements. The Order of the White Lotus agrees. Including your mother and grandfather."

I suddenly became overcome by a wave of anger, but it passed quickly. I knew it wasn't worth arguing. I, like my mom, didn't not like being the last to know things. If everyone thought I was ready, I'd accept it. "Okay, Stella. I'll be a good kid like everyone says."

"Taylor, we're only doing it because you are mature enough for the challenge. You've grown up a lot since you've been here, and we thought you could handle it. Taylor, you are acting like a man rather than a child. Many Avatars were not as mature as you at this age. And we are so proud," Stella said.

I thought about it. So much _had_ changed since I came to Ba Sing Se. I met friends. I protected a city by using the Avatar State. I had publically introduced myself as the Avatar. I had healed hundreds of citizens who were injured and help rebuild the Earthbending powered train to help people get around the city. I spoke at the memorial for the lives lost during the explosions. Things were pretty much wrapped up.

ChoHee was standing next to me when Stella said this. I looked at her and she was smiling up at me. "What?" I asked her. She just kept smiling. I smiled back and slid my arm around her waist.

"I'm going with you, Avatar," ChoHee said without vocal inflection but with the world's biggest smile on her face.

And then she did.

End of Book 1

Love you guys! -Stephanie


	15. Book Two: Fire

Book Two: Fire

Since she met the Avatar, Kohanna spent a lot of time outside in the dark. She even shied away from the light. She didn't want to see whom she was becoming or where her life was going. She just sat and stared at the moon from the deck of the yacht. She knew that her kids were seeing the same moon, wherever they were.

She thought back to her childhood. She was always outside at night. She was the bravest of her adoptive siblings. And her adoptive parents didn't mind much. After all, she was just Waterbending. Her brother was never brave enough to camp outside with her.

But he was brave enough to beat her. But only at night. But he hadn't done that in years. So Kohanna became a stronger Waterbender until she could beat him up. After that, Kohanna wasn't afraid of the dark.

"Kohanna, did you really think that your father would let this slide? Don't you think that your actions were a little treacherous?" Yuseo asked. He was always so calm, even when he was angry. He was still extremely scary. He put Kohanna on edge because she could imagine him screaming at her and hitting her again. But Yuseo never did. He knew she was stronger than him.

"Yes. I do think it was treachery. But I have a problem with capturing a family member. It just goes against my morals," Kohanna answered.

"What morals? You are a thief. You have killed people. You have no morals. But I see your problem. Your father wouldn't like this," Yuseo replied.

"True," Kohanna said. "But I can do other things for the plan. Besides, what were we going to do with the Avatar anyway? We can't take him to my father."

"I don't know what we'd do. Your dad has a plan that I'm in charge of carrying out," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Yuseo was becoming frustrated with his adopted sister. Kohanna never did anything right in his eyes. He had given her a simple task. How hard could catching a seventeen-year-old be? After all, he was just a Waterbender. Kohanna was more than proficient in Waterbending than anyone could ever be. A child could never take that title from her. Or could he?

Yuseo thought for a few more moments. Kohanna looked extremely repentant. He thought about a job that he could give his sister. "Okay, okay," Yuseo said. "I think I can pull some strings. Kohanna, how opposed are you to setting off more bombs?"

"Not really opposed," Kohanna answered.

"Good. We'll set some off in Yu Dao. People will think it's just the Shirshu Gang again. It's the perfect crime."

"Is that who blew up Ba Sing Se? I assumed it was us," Kohanna said.

"Yup. The Shirshu Gang are the supporters of Myung Dae. The Independent Nation is going to stay out of this for a while. We need to wait it out."

"What do we do if the Avatar masters all of the elements?" Kohanna asked.

"Always the pessimist, Kohanna. That's not good for your health," Yuseo said shaking his head. He shook his dark hair out from his eyes. He rubbed her cheek. Kohanna swatted it away.

"Since when have you cared about my health?" She asked, incredulous.

"Since always."

"What about that time I broke my arm?" She asked bitterly. "You laughed and wouldn't heal me."

"That's because healing is for girls. And get over it already. You're such a big baby, Kohanna."

"Shut up, Yuseo."

"You're a brat"

"Then why do you keep me around? I could be at home. Tamae is about to graduate. I could be with him."

"I need you, Nami," Yuseo said.

Yuseo saying Kohanna's name hit a nerve. Kohanna was ashamed of her actions now, but she got paid so much that it didn't matter that much. All of her boys could go to college in Ba Sing Se with the money she earned. "Don't call me that. My actions are too disgraceful for my name."

"Sorry, Kohanna. You're right," Yuseo said, feigning remorse. He smiled at her.

Kohanna frowned. _Kaage_*_ said that I need to take care of myself and the kids_, she reminded herself. This life may not be what Kaage had in mind, but it did put Sea Prunes on the table. And what Tamae, Takara, Seiji, and Magena didn't know wouldn't hurt them. "Kohanna, I think you need to go home and see the kids. Obviously, you have a connection with the Avatar that is preventing you from capturing him."

Kohanna thought that this might be a trap. "Who is going to capture the Avatar?" She asked. She already knew the answer, but she hoped her gut would be wrong. She didn't want Taylor to be hurt and she knew Yuseo wouldn't be merciful.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yuseo said, smiling. "I will capture him."

"Don't get cocky, Yuseo. He is an excellent bender. Probably even more than his mother and father. And even better than I am," Kohanna warned.

"I'm sure he is very scary. He's just a little boy, Kohanna. How tough could he actually be?"

"He's the _Avatar_,Yuseo. The most powerful being in the world. He ran off the Shirshu Gang, just with his Waterbending. No offense, Yuseo, but I don't think you stand a chance," Kohanna said, maliciously preying on her brother's insecurities.

Yuseo pinched the bridge of his nose again. A shudder went through him, and Kohanna instantly felt guilt. "Maybe not, Kohanna. And now that he's in the Fire Nation learning Firebending, I know it'll be tougher. That's why I sent you to do it," Yuseo said with his head down. He secretly had a smile on his face.

"Okay, Yuseo. I will try again."

"That's a good girl. And I'm actually going to capture the next best person to lure him to us," Yuseo said.

"And who would that be?"

"The Firelord."

Kohanna desperately tried to keep her jaw from dropping Kaage had been friends with Firelord Dukran back when she was still a princess. He delivered Dukran's first two children. Kohanna thought carefully about her next words. She then decided that it was too late to be cautious. "She's pregnant. How dare you try to capture a pregnant woman! That's sick. Yuseo, I've heard you spew a lot of garbage, but that is by far the worst."

Yuseo laughed. "I know you have history with the Firelord. Bring me Yukio within two months, or I'll capture Dukran. Your choice."

"You're sick. You're completely disgusting and vile," Kohanna said.

"What was your first clue?"

Later that night, when Kohanna couldn't sleep, she made a phone call. "Sorry, Hitomi. I know it's late, but someone is after Dukran."

"Where are you, Nami?" Mother Hitomi asked.

"I can't say," Kohanna said to the nun.

"Why not? I can help you."

"Don't worry about me. I'm worried about Taylor. And if someone's after Dukran, they are coming for Anana, Stella, Ani, and you. But Taylor is the first priority. The Independent Nation wants to kill Raava. And to kill Raava, they have to kill Taylor in the Avatar State," Kohanna said, starting to cry.

Kohanna heard footsteps. "I have to go! Don't tell anyone you have talked to me. And take good care of my kids." Kohanna hung up the phone just as the door opened.

"I knew I couldn't trust you, daughter," the leader of the Independent Nation said.

"What are you going to do to me?" Kohanna asked, suddenly very afraid of the dark.


	16. 1: Meet Hana

Chapter 1: _Meet Hana_

It was one o'clock in the afternoon when ChoHee and I arrived in Capital City. There were hundreds of people gathered in the plaza to greet us. ChoHee waved to people and I shook people's hands.

The people had cleared a path for ChoHee and me to walk through and at the end was the Royal Family. Chi-Ji gave ChoHee and me a huge hug. I kissed Chi-Ji on the cheek and she blushed. Caleb gave me a weird sort of bro hug that was very awkward.

The very pregnant Firelord Dukran stood behind Chi-Ji. I tried to do the Fire Nation bow to her, but the crowd just giggled. Dukran corrected my hands and gave me a hug. "Yukio, I haven't seen you since you were a baby. You look very different," She teased. "You still have those big blue eyes, though. I'd recognize those anywhere."

"It's nice to meet you, Dukran," I said.

ChoHee bowed politely. She was still in uniform, so she had to be as respectful as possible. Dukran hugged her anyway. "Any friend of the Avatar is a friend of mine," Dukran said warmly. Dukran winced, and I assumed the baby kicked her.

"How far along are you?" I asked.

"Eight months today." Dukran said. "So far, she's the biggest baby I've ever carried. I feel like my stomach is as large as the entire United Republic." Dukran laughed. I laughed, too. Dukran had a tittering little laugh that was infectious.

I stepped up to a little podium with a microphone to announce my arrival.

"Hello!" I said, after I got the crowd's attention. "Thank you so much for the kind welcoming you've given me. I'm thrilled that you all have opened your town to me. I am very excited to learn Firebending from the Firelord, and I hope to be in town meeting people.

"I also want to thank you for your support and efforts toward Ba Sing Se. The people are very thankful for the food and clothes that you've sent them. Ba Sing Se still requires a lot of help to rebuild it to its former glory and I know that together, we can get a lot done. Thank you!" I finished.

Everybody clapped for us as we got into a Satomobile. Chi-Ji started talking immediately. "I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever!" she said first. "Sooo much has happened! MiHee wants you to call her. You guys get to meet Hana today! I really wanted to help with the clean-up, but Mom wouldn't let me help! So unfair! Anyway-"

"Shut-up, Chi-Ji!" Caleb shouted. "They'll be here for a long time! You don't have to ask them a million questions right now! Gosh!"

Dukran shot a spark into the back seat to get our attention. "Dong Min, that was extremely rude! Apologize to your sister right now," Dukran ordered.

"Sorry, Chi-Ji," Caleb said sarcastically.

Dukran looked at him. "You are going straight to my room when we get home. We need to have a talk, young man," she said. Then she turned to Chi-Ji. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

Chi-Ji didn't say anything else, so I decided to talk to her. "It has only been a week, Chi-Ji, but it certainly seems longer. And the Restoration takes a lot of energy. There isn't a lot that you could do. Plus, the ruins are very unsafe. Even the strongest buildings are dangerous. But anyway, what's new?"

"I've been helping the people make care packages. My friends and I have made soooo many! Have people been getting them?" She asked.

"Actually, yes. I passed a lot of them out. The coats have been much appreciated," I said. "It's getting really cold in Ba Sing Se."

"It's been chilly here, too! Whoa, that's so weird!"

"Chi-Ji, it's almost winter. It's cold everywhere," I said. Chi-Ji giggled and blushed.

"Oh yeah," she said as we pulled up to the palace.

Caldera City, the neighborhood that was built around the Fire Nation Royal Palace, was beautiful. There were many green willow trees and little craters that were natural ponds. The houses stretched toward the sky, much like the buildings I'd seen in pictures of Republic City.

The palace, unlike the palace in Ba Sing Se, did not have walls around it (Also, it wasn't completely destroyed). It seemed to be very well protected, though. The soldiers seemed more like security guards. Maybe Lightning Generators, or something. They all smiled and bowed, and Dukran greeted them all by name.

When we stepped inside, we were in the large, ornate throne room. It was much smaller than the one in the Ba Sing Se. And this throne room was wide and not long. It seemed like a much more intimate setting, too. Two red, velveteen chairs sat at the head of the room and off to the side, were two black chairs that weren't quite as fancy, which I assumed were for Crown Prince and Princess. And then there were also two gold cushions which I assumed were for the other children.

A young woman was sitting in one of the large red chairs with her legs over an arm. She had a Royal Headpiece on, so I inferred that this was the one Fire Princess I hadn't previously met, Hana. She had very long black hair and she was filing her nails. From what I could tell, she was very beautiful.

I could finally understand why Chi-Ji didn't Firebend anymore. When Hana turned to face us, I could see that the entire right side of Hana's face was burned. The scar was thick and dark brown. I could imagine Chi-Ji's blue flames flickering across Hana's face. I couldn't imagine the excruciating pain that Hana had been through.

I turned my head, trying to focus on something else, but Hana got up and walked toward me. "Avatar," she said. She said it in an unfriendly way. "Kyoshi Warrior."

"Hi, Princess Hana, I'm Taylor and this is my girlfriend, ChoHee," I said, trying to be polite, even though she hadn't been.

"It's a pleasure," Hana said, looking at ChoHee, unimpressed.

ChoHee surreptitiously adjusted herself to be closer to my shoulder, partially obscuring her face from view. She gently squeezed my hand. I squeezed her hand to reassure her. ChoHee did not handle criticism very well. She'd never let anyone know that she was insecure, but I just knew. She was too much like myself for her own good.

ChoHee, I had learned, was not critical at all. She was very patient and kind. She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. She never complained about anything or anyone. People thought ChoHee was heartless, but I knew the truth.

"Anyway!" Chi-Ji said loudly, making everyone jump. "I think we should eat lunch now. How about some junk food? Fire Flakes, anyone?"

"I think we should let them rest, Chi-Ji. It's only hospitable," Hana said, her eyes narrowing, but not leaving ChoHee. For some reason, Hana seemed intimidated by ChoHee. "After all, they have tons of time for food."

ChoHee was seventeen, the same as me, just a month older. Hana was an adult, so I didn't understand how Hana could be intimidated by ChoHee. Not that ChoHee wasn't worth being afraid of (she certainly could be scary, especially in her uniform), I just figured that Hana would be more mature.

But maybe that was why Caleb talked bad about Hana. Maybe she didn't have a good relationship with anyone. Maybe she was the stereotypical, spoiled princess. After all, David _did _say that I should address her as _Princess _Hana, instead of just by her first name like her siblings and mother preferred.

"I guess it's up to them. Make sure you call MiHee," Chi-Ji said, looking at ChoHee. Chi-Ji's eyes were apologetic. She must have been embarrassed of her Hana. But Chi-Ji covered her emotions up very well.

"Chi-Ji, why don't you take the Kyoshi Warrior to the phone and I'll show Taylor his room," Hana suggested, even though her vocal inflection hinted that Chi-Ji didn't have a choice.

"Cool," I said. ChoHee squeezed my hand again. I pretended to ignore it. "Sounds good to me."

"Come on, ChoHee!" Chi-Ji said cheerfully. I released ChoHee's hand.

After a few awkward seconds, Hana started leading me toward a huge spiral staircase. "So, how are you?" I asked. I felt stupid, because small-talk was definitely not a strength of mine.

"I've been better," Hana said, sighing. "Are you excited to learn Firebending?" She asked, half-heartedly being polite.

I decided to go with it. "Yeah. I am. I'm more excited for your new baby sister. Do you think she'll be a Firebender, or an Earthbender?"

"I'm not sure. It's anyone's guess. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she was an Airbender. Our family is just crazy," she answered, smiling.

I laughed as we started going up the stairs. "Yeah, that would be pretty crazy. I think it's fascinating how your family is multiethnic. It's so different. Of course, the bending community of the North Pole is only Waterbenders."

"I can see how that would get boring. At least here, we get a variety. Plus, The White Lotus stays here and it has chi-blockers and people from every bending discipline." Hana said. "There is always something new happening here. Caleb made me a necklace out of parts form an old Satomobile. The Metalbending was so intricate. I was very impressed." Hana pulled down the collar of her cape to show me the necklace. "Did you know that Caleb is a Grand Lotus, just from being a Metalbender?"

"Weird," I agreed.

The staircase led to a very long hallway that was about six floors up. Inside, there were several doors, which I assumed were bedrooms. "This is Caleb's room," She said pointing to the first door on the left where I could hear muted conversation. "The nursery," she said pointing to her right.

Hana continued to say bedrooms. "David's room. My room. Chi-Ji's room. Then all the rest are guest rooms except the one at the end of the hall. That one is your room. My mom and dad share a room downstairs. I'll show you later. Now go take a nap or something."

"I might. I just want to unpack and stuff," I responded.

"Whatever floats your War Balloon, I suppose," Hana said, shrugging.

"Well, I'll catch you later, I guess."

"If you need something, call."

"Okay," I said.

_What a weird girl_, I thought as I opened the door to my room.


	17. 2: ChoHee and Hana

Chapter Two: _ChoHee and Hana_

It had been a week since I met Hana. While I liked her, she made me extremely nervous.

I felt like there was something off about her. She seemed to appear randomly. Whenever she gave a compliment to someone, it was always backhanded. She never said please and thank you when people did stuff for her. I noticed that she always watched me when I was with Taylor, even if Taylor and I weren't touching or talking to each other. I just assumed her strange behavior was directed toward the fact that Kyoshi Warriors had been guards for the Royal Family and it was weird to see one actually being friends with her siblings. But even when I was out of uniform, she still made me feel awkward.

It didn't bother me until she started being rude to MiHee. MiHee took it good naturedly, but confided in me that Hana upset her. I told her that she needed to stand up to Hana if she was hurting her feelings. MiHee melted my heart when she said, "I'm supposed to be respectful to adults. I'm not an equal to her."

So I knew that the next day, I was going to confront Hana. I was just going to say, 'look, Hana, you need to stop.' But I just couldn't do it. I even told Taylor about it. He said, "Well, ChoHee, I don't know what to tell you. If you want change, you have to be the catalyst."

So when I woke up, I skipped breakfast and went straight to Hana's room. I knocked on the door. I heard sniffles. "Hana?" I asked cautiously. "Can I come in?" When Hana didn't reply, I just walked into the room like I owned the place.

Hana was sitting at her large, teak desk with her head in her hands. I wanted to walk closer to her, but something held me in my place. _Patience, ChoHee_, I felt Stella's words come to the forefront of my mind.

I then decided that in this case, talking wasn't going to help Hana. Hana was similar to myself in that aspect. So I did what MiHee and my mom did for me. I closed the gap between us and hugged her. She shrugged me off to hand me a piece of paper.

On white, formal cardstock, the letter from King Myung Dae said:

_My dearest, Hana. I felt that I needed to tell you I'm leaving. I have an entire world to convert, and I want you to be my top general. You are smart and resourceful, and I need people like that in my troops. You'll finally prove yourself ready for attaining the Firelord position. I'm going to fulfill Firelord Sozin and Firelord Ozai's wishes in becoming the Phoenix King. I love you so much, Hana. If you decide to join me, my last day in the homeland is Sunday the 26__th__._

_See you soon, __Myung Dae_

I didn't know what to say to Hana. "I want to be Firelord, but not like this. I don't want to upset him. What do I do? I can't betray my people," she said.

"I think we need to just tell your mom. She could probably help you," I said. I didn't think it was good advice, but Taylor didn't need to be bothered by this when he was trying to master the elements. He was doing so well.

Plus, Hana probably wouldn't want to share the letter with Taylor. If she didn't respect me, she treated Taylor like dirt. Taylor either didn't realize it, or didn't care enough to stop it, because he never seemed to show any rudeness back to her. In fact, he was nothing but polite to her. Of course, he was just nice in that sense.

"We can't, ChoHee," Hana said, using my name to my face for the first time. "She can't know about this. She's pregnant. She can't defend herself right now. It's not safe to Firebend while you're pregnant."

"You think your father is going to attack?" I asked.

"I doubt it. If he were, he would tell me so Chi-Ji and I could get out. He'd leave a way for us. Besides, why would he attack the homeland? That would be dumb; his people love him," Hana responded.

I thought about my next statement carefully. "Maybe we should tell Taylor. He is the Avatar. Handling this kind of stuff is his job."

I really didn't want to bother him. He was actually at school at that moment. But Hana shook her head no. "He's at school," Hana said, shocking me. I didn't know that she cared about Taylor's well-being at all. "Besides he's got other things to deal with. He still has to figure out who did that bombing."

"These things could be connected, Hana. Think about it. Only a few people have enough money to access so many bombs. And you said that the Fire Nation loves the king. I don't think it would be hard to get supporters," I said.

"I'm betting that it was the Independent Nation," Hana said. "They could have the resources, too."

"That's true, but they don't have numbers on their side. Chi-Ji said there were thousands of soldiers. There is no way that a couple hundred people or less could devastate an entire city," I said, trying not to sound argumentative.

Hana seemed to think about it. "Maybe we should talk about this with Chi-Ji, David, Taylor and MiHee. If we all put our heads together, we could crack this."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "It's open," Hana said.

"I think I can help you," a woman said from the doorway.


End file.
